Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-04-22

est. Foreigners visiting tho country and
tourists from half over the continent came
there to see the womcn's silIi colony. Whether
they looked at the handsome, tree empowered
village itself, with its clean, smooth streets
and tasteful homes, the novel, successful in
dustry that had contributed so greatly to its
prosperity, or at the well fed, well dressed
girls and children-everything they saw was
interesting and pleasing. There came so many
that a neat and rOomy hotel had to be built
to accommodate them 1t was kept by our
friend Mis- Simpkins. The march of improve
ment had trodden under foot the show viii
dow with the box of backing and two clothes
pins.
The numerous visitors to the silk colony
became source of revenue to the village 1t
was suddenly discovered, too, by and by,
that Linwood had exceptional advantages as
n summer resort.
Nor yet was this all With the advent of
good times came better food, gentler ways,
and more happiness to Linwood homes. Hus-
bands and sons who had been wont to spend
their hours and their earnings too much away
from home, walked up gradually to find home
had grown attractive before they were aware
of it. There was music, there were books
and games in their own houses of evenings.
cheerful matrons there They found them
selves exceedingly astonishcd to discover a
remarkable fact-there was more fun at
home than anywhere else.
The impulse of the ordinary woman who
earns money, is to use it first to adorn her
person, next her home. Neither is this
wicked impulse. 1t is not even an unwhoe-
some one
Linwood women were ordinary. They
were exceedingly ordinary Therefore they
decorated first themselves, then their homes.
With the stimulus that money of their own
and communication with minds outside of
their own gave them, they, too, walked up to
some important fittS They learned how far
behind the day they were in their social ways,
their housekeeping. They took to improved
methods There had been bitter Quarreling
and heartburning, family rows, in short,
in many I.inwood household before, because
of the undoubted preference of the masculine
half of the house for the grocery and rum
| shop.
Linwood mothers and daughters made now
| the astounding discovery that wives and chill
| dren who are neat, handsome and merry
delicate food, pretty healthful homes, music
| and jolly vet harmless home amusement,
| have more attraction for men than even q
rum shop Wives and daughters have the
inside track all the time with the average
| masculine animal, if they only had sense
| enough to keep it.
Linwood had heard temperance lectures
since the time the noble red man gave up
and surrendered to the white man. Yet
| here right under their noses, was temper
| ance lecture worth more than all the rest.
How odd they had never thought of it be-
fore
| So Linwood was transformed, wholly and
| forever.
1t was in very truth Shirley who did all
1t was over again what George Morrison
had read to her from the enchanted life OF
| Joan of Arc:
daughter of God, all things were under
her."
| Was it not SO?
To accomplish worthy aims three thing:
are necessary: UnselfshneSs, singleness OF
purpose and eternal enthusiasm.
Shirley gave up her village school at length
| She gave it into the hands of one of her best
pupils. So from the master to Shirley, from
Shirley to the favorite pupil, the school wa.
handed down and kept running on worthily
in the wise old ways
Shirley had other work that was more re
muneratve and that was forced on her al
ways as the first consideration. With all sh,
| had on her hands it her steady regre
that she found no time to do her best at any
thing. Night never closed in on her an(
found her free from a care for the next day
| She never had one week to rest.
She had now a modest yet solid distinction
as a writer The ideals in literature that sh
had set before her as peerless statues whcl
she was Is, We're locked away from human
sight Out of the fullness of the practca
knowledge she had gained i'll her years o
toll and trial, she wrote now. 1t was eXactl
this feature that made her work of especa
value for everyday reading. People are gla
to read that which helps them practically.
But She wrote no more poetry,
=
I.inwood had indeed changed since we kne,
it first Now it had railroad Trains dali
went laundering past the old stone house, ii
its very walls shook. Little regard have iro
and steam for beauty in nature. They laug
to scorn sentimental memories. The old mi
was pulled down by the railway company
The iron tracks followed the bed of the pict
, uresque mill race They cut through tn
heart of the cump of graceful swaying wi
lows, the very willows under which Shlrle
had sat while the master read to her the MAJ
velous story of Joan of Arc.
Even so the iron had cut through the hear
Of Sbirley's romance. Even so, God help u.
the iron perces the soul of us all, every one
And one fine morning Shirley walked an
remembered she was 80 years old
The brothers and sisters We're nearly n
men and women now. Alice, the younges
was IA. Harry was II. These two wei
especially near to Shirley They had hun
, about her neck in their helpless babyhooC
a Fatherless worse than motherless, they ha
only this tall, strong sister to cling to.
During these years so many minor inc
a dents had happened in the Carstone famil
that it has not been possible to keep up wit
, them all 1t was well Shirley's world
Z prospects had frightened. AS the childre
9 grew older the need of money to ciuca
r them, to start them in life, increased co,
q stantly Shirley worked and planned wit
out ceasing to meet the demand. 1t gave h
:, steady pride and pleasure that she was ali
=. to do so.
u The children followed each his natur